The U.S. Department of State has formally republished the Cuba Restricted List, restoring prohibitions on direct financial transactions with numerous Cuban military, intelligence, and security-linked entities. This move...more
The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a formal guidance letter stating that certain kinds of Specially Designated Nationals could speak at a public conference to share their individual...more
Through Aerospace & Defense Insights, we share with you the top legal and political issues affecting the aerospace and defense (A&D) industry. Our A&D industry team monitors the latest developments to help our clients stay in...more
On 9 September 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published “Preliminary Guidance on Implementation of a Maritime Services Policy and Related Price Exception for Seaborne...more
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) issued General License (“GL”) No. 22 on May 12, 2022, authorizing transactions that are ordinarily incident and necessary to activities that occur in specified, non-regime held...more
On February 24, 2022, the US Government imposed severe economic sanctions and export controls on Russia. The restrictions consist of two parts: 1) significant financial sanctions on a range of Russian financial institutions...more
The decision to pay millions to a cyber criminal has never been easy, but it is now even more complex. The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued an updated advisory on September 21,...more
The Cuban Assets Control Regulations have been amended to prohibit U.S. persons from lodging at certain properties in Cuba, incorporate restrictions on imports of Cuban alcohol and tobacco, and revoke general licenses...more
As of 16 March 2020 Iran Air and a number of other entities were placed on the Bureau of Industry and Security's (BIS) Entity List.
Summary -
Companies that use Iran Air as transport, particularly companies engaging in...more
3/17/2020
/ Airlines ,
Aviation Industry ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Entity List ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Foreign Policy ,
General Licenses ,
Iran ,
National Security ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Prohibited Transactions
On 27 February 2020, the Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC) issued General License (GL) 8 authorizing certain humanitarian trade transactions involving the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) that are otherwise prohibited under...more
3/6/2020
/ Banks ,
Commodities ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Food Supply ,
Foreign Relations ,
General Licenses ,
Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations (GTSR) ,
Humanitarian Assistance ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
ITSR ,
Medical Devices ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
SDN List ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Switzerland ,
Trade Agreements
On 10 January 2020, in response to missile attacks by the Iranian military targeting two U.S. bases in Iraq, the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated a number of senior...more
1/14/2020
/ Blocked Person ,
Construction Project ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Goods or Services ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Manufacturers ,
Mining ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
SDN List ,
Textiles ,
Trump Administration
On 5 November 2019 the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued two new general licenses authorizing certain transactions involving the government of Venezuela (GOV) and certain individuals affiliated with the GOV,...more
On 25 October the U.S. Departments of the Treasury and State announced the establishment of a new channel for conducting due diligence on humanitarian trade with Iran.
Foreign governments and foreign financial institutions...more
11/8/2019
/ AML/CFT ,
Due Diligence ,
FinCEN ,
Foreign Financial Institutions (FFI) ,
Foreign Relations ,
Humanitarian Assistance ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Money Laundering ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Trump Administration
On 14 October, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 13894, Blocking Property and Suspending Entry of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Syria (EO).
...more
10/18/2019
/ Blocked Person ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Financial Institutions (FFI) ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
General Licenses ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Syria ,
Trump Administration ,
Turkey ,
Unauthorized Transactions
On 5 August 2019 the Trump administration issued Executive Order 13884 (the executive order) imposing sweeping sanctions against the government of Venezuela, including its agencies and instrumentalities as well as any...more
On 20 June 2019 the Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a final interim rule (effective on 21 June 2019) amending its reporting, procedures, and penalties regulations, 31 Code of Federal...more
7/26/2019
/ Confidential Information ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Factoring Transactions ,
FOIA ,
Food Marketing Institute v Argus Leader Media ,
Interim Rule ,
License Applications ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Reporting Requirements
On 2 May 2019, the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC"), the agency responsible for enforcing economic sanctions, published "A Framework for OFAC Compliance Commitments" (the "Framework") which outlines...more
7/3/2019
/ Cooperative Compliance Regime ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Failure to Comply ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Framework Agreement ,
Fund Managers ,
Internal Controls ,
Investment Funds ,
Investment Management ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Private Equity ,
Risk Assessment ,
Sanction Violations
On 4 June 2019 the Trump administration implemented certain regulatory changes first announced on 17 April 2019 by National Security Advisor Ambassador John Bolton in a foreign policy address regarding the Trump...more
On 2 May 2019 the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued "A Framework for OFAC Compliance Commitments" (the framework), which outlines five components OFAC considers to be essential...more
On 19 December 2018, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) submitted a notification to Congress that it plans to terminate sanctions on three major companies originally designated for...more
On 5 November 2018 the United States re-imposed the remaining nuclear-related secondary sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against Iran that previously had...more
11/8/2018
/ Economic Sanctions ,
Financial Institutions ,
Foreign Policy ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
ITSR ,
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) ,
Nuclear Weapons ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Oil & Gas ,
SDN List ,
Shipping Cargo ,
Trump Administration
The past two weeks have entailed a flurry of sanctions developments related to Russia, including the issuance of a new executive order, and the designation of a number of entities by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's...more
The United States has begun re-imposing nuclear-related sanctions with respect to Iran in connection with the expiration of the 90-day wind-down period announced alongside the United States' 8 May 2018 withdrawal from the...more
8/13/2018
/ Economic Sanctions ,
Energy Sector ,
Financial Institutions ,
Foreign Investment ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Insurance Industry ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
ITSR ,
Nuclear Weapons ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Shipping
In furtherance of President Trump’s 8 May 2018 announcement that the United States would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal—the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—on 27 June 2018, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s...more
Declaring that it is “defective at its core,” on 8 May 2018, President Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and begin re-imposing sanctions that were lifted pursuant to U.S....more